MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Lakers proved last season it’s possible to win an NBA championship without having the best regular-season record. At present, the Lakers trail the league- leading Cleveland Cavaliers by a half game. The Cavaliers are 44-14; the Lakers are 43-14.

The team that finishes atop the overall standings gets home-court advantage for all four rounds of the playoffs. The Lakers finished second last season to the Cavaliers, but Cleveland lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Lakers had home-court advantage in the NBA Finals and beat the Magic in five games last June. One year earlier, they lost in six to the Boston Celtics, who had home-court advantage for the Finals.

“It’s not really a worry, but it’s got to be a goal and a focus,” Pau Gasol said after the Lakers’ victory Tuesday over the Grizzlies. “Every game makes a difference. We’re trying to win every single game, so we have a chance to finish at the top.”

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said it was too early to start monitoring the standings each day. There will be a time for keeping an eye on the Cavaliers and other teams in the Eastern Conference. Watching the West is difficult enough.

The Lakers lead the West by 5<MD+,%30,%55,%70>1/<MD-,%0,%55,%70>2 games over the Denver Nuggets.

“Until the last two weeks of the season, it’s going to be like this, I would imagine,” Jackson said. “I don’t see us blistering through the rest of the season, losing only one or two games. I don’t see (the Cavs) doing the same thing. I would imagine the two of us are going to end up somewhere around 60-20 or somewhere in there. The last two games or so will put us over the hump. We have a harder schedule than they do.”

The Lakers have 15 games remaining on the road, and 10 at home.

New-look Mavericks

The Lakers get their first look tonight at the Dallas Mavericks, who revamped their roster by acquiring Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood earlier this month. The Mavericks have won four of five games since the deal.

“I think they’re going to be a little bit better defensively,” Lakers center Andrew Bynum said of the Mavericks. “Haywood is going to be active and will go to the glass. It should be a fun matchup.”

Medical updates

Bynum played in his third game since sitting out for two because of a bruised right hip, scoring 15 points and grabbing four rebounds against the Grizzlies. Jackson said he was uncertain how long Bynum’s injury might linger.

“He says it still bothers him a little bit,” Jackson said.

Sasha Vujacic did not make the trip after suffering a sprained right shoulder when he ran into a hard pick during last Thursday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers expect Vujacic to be sidelined for at least the next week or so.

Luke Walton, who has been limited to 24 games this season because of a pinched nerve in his back, joined the Lakers, however.

Elliott Teaford covers the Clippers and the NBA for the Southern California News Group. He has written about hockey for the past five years and is looking forward to thawing out after so many days and nights sitting in frozen rinks. He also covered the Lakers for five seasons, including their back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and '10. He once made a jump shot over future Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton during a pickup game in 1980 at Cypress College.

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